Julian
Assange speaks with The New York Times via Facebook
Live.New York
Times

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Wednesday shot back at claims
that he was meddling in the US election in favor of Donald Trump.

Speaking with
The New York Times on Facebook Live, Assange scoffed at the
assertion that Trump and Jill Stein, the Republican and Green
parties' presidential nominees, were being manipulated as
unwitting Russian agents, an idea put forward by top
officials including former CIA deputy director Michael
Morell.

Assange accused Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential
nominee, of "whipping up a neo-McCarthyist hysteria about
Russia."

"What kind of press environment is this going to lead to
post-election?" Assange asked.

He continued: "The American liberal press, in falling over
themselves to defend Hillary Clinton, are erecting a demon that
is going to put nooses around everyone's necks as soon as she
wins the election, which is almost certainly what she's going to
do."

In recent months, WikiLeaks has played a controversial and
outsize role in the US presidential election.

Days before the Democratic National Convention in July, WikiLeaks
released hacked internal Democratic National Committee emails
showing top Democratic staffers criticizing and considering
political action against Sen. Bernie Sanders, Clinton's main
opponent in the primaries. The leaks led to a wave of convention
protests and eventual
resignations from top party officials.

Earlier this month, Assange promised another round of
Clinton-related document released before the election, while the
organization offered money for leaked information on both
Clinton and Trump.

Some critics have accused Assange and WikiLeaks of maintaining an
anti-Clinton bias that in essence supports Trump, though Assange
has likened the election to a choice between "cholera
and gonorrhea." Informal Trump adviser Roger
Stone
also claimsto have been in indirect contact with
Assange, whom he called a "hero" in August.

In Wednesday's interview, Assange denied that he was defending
Trump by claiming that the Republican presidential nominee had no
significant financial ties to Russia.

WikiLeaks
has also been criticized for offering a cash reward for
information on the death of Seth Rich, a Democratic
staffer, insinuating a potential conspiracy despite no evidence
to support political foul play in his death.